Used Binoculars
Friday, September 16th, 2011 |
 Vintage Stellar Folding Binocular Opera Glass Glasses 25x  US $8.95
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 Leica 8x42 BN US $700.00
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 Leica 8x42 BA US $700.00
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 Bushnell 8x26 H2O Compact Porro Prism Waterproof Fogproof Binocular NEW US $58.97
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 Sharper Image Binocular 10x40x30 In box US $15.00
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 Binocular Opera 35 X Glasses Coated Magnifying Glasses US $42.31
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 Binolux Opera Glasses 25X with Case US $21.99
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 DARKFIELD STEREO JEWELRY GEM MICROSCOPE 10X 15X 30X 45X US $197.96
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 Antique Mother of Pearl Brass Opera Glasses US $650.00
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 Sexy One piece Swimwear Bathing Swimsuit Size M L Black US $8.99
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 MOTHER OF PEARL OPERA GLASSES WITH LEATHER CASE US $75.00
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 Filson Large Compartment Case Style 265 US $165.00
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 Donegan New OptiVisor Headband Magnifier 25X Magnification US $54.99
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 Battery for Canon LP E8 lep8 EOS Rebel T2i kiss X4Pen US $9.06
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Schumacher SC-600A SpeedCharge High Frequency Battery Charger
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Wingscapes WSCA04 Timelapse Outdoor PlantCam
Sale Price: $89.00 |
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16x32 StabilEyes VR Image Stabilized Binocular
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Donegan OptiVISOR
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Carl Zeiss Optical Inc Lens Pre-Moistened Tissues
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Astronomy Using Binoculars
Although they are not as appealing as a telescope, a good pair of binoculars are an excellent alternative, and will enable you to establish whether or not astronomy is for you without needing to go through the expense of buying a telescope.
Binoculars are easy to use, they are light, and they are versatile. As with telescopes, binoculars come in different sizes. And, as with telescopes, the bigger the aperture (the diameter of the objective lens), the more light can be captured and therefore the brighter objects will appear.
But, again as with telescopes, the bigger binoculars are, the heavier and more difficult they are to handle. 10 x 50s are generally accepted as being an ideal size for day-to-day astronomy. 10 x 50 means that the binoculars have a magnification of 10x and an objective lens diameter of 50mm.
A pair of 10 x 50s provide a field of view of about 6 degrees, which would allow you to see enough sky to span 12 moons (the moon covers about 0.5 degrees of the sky). A pair of 7 x 50s will provide a slightly larger field of view than a pair of 10 x 50s, but the magnification is not as high.
For larger binoculars, it is advisable to use a tripod as this will prevent your arms from becoming tired, and will also avoid the image from jumping about. In fact, I have a pair of 8 x 30s, and it is pretty much impossible to hold them steady enough to be able to view an object such as a planet without the image bouncing around all over the place.
Binoculars provide a great addition to your astronomy tool kit, and are great when you want to quickly span the sky, darting from one object to another. I have three pairs (10 x 25s, 8 x 30s, and 10 x 50s), and I find a use for all three.
About the Author
John documents his astronomy exploits in his astronomy blog. He also maintains a free software downloads site, and develops and supplies a bookkeeping software application.
"The Practical Binocular" Field Use Part 1
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